During this campaign season, comparisons of this race to others have been made—often with a great deal of plausibility.
Certainly the 2000 race has been offered up as a lesson. But others have compared the tough partisanship in this race to far earlier races where charges of alcoholism, illegitimate children and adultery were slung about with glee.
There’s another time in our history, though, that warrants a look for lessons, and that’s the nation’s founding. And at the center of the similarities are the issues of war and taxes.
- Then, the colonists were at war. Today, we’re at war.
- Then, the war was over the quest for freedom from oppression. Today, the war is over the quest for freedom from oppression—but this time the liberation is being extended to others outside the U.S.
- Then, paying taxes without a say in our own government sparked a revolution. Today, when we feel we’re paying too much in taxes, we revolt again—but with ballots, not bullets.
- Then, if Britain hadn’t imposed such a heavy tax burden on the colonies, we might still be drinking tea.Today, if politicians cut or at least don’t increase taxes, we’re generally happy at the polls and don’t revolt.
To be sure, there are differences:
- Then, we fought against a people and society much like ours. Today, it’s almost impossible to identify the people and society we fight against, since they are rogue terrorists rather than organized governments with identifiable populations.
But one thing hasn’t changed: freedom from oppression costs money. At the nation’s founding, we were willing as a country to spend anything to win. Today, the American people may say enough is enough if the costs of the war in lives and money becomes too high.
That’s why our leaders who must devise a strategy to win the War on Terror, which may take years, must include consideration of a tax policy that maximizes revenue while minimizing discontent.
Can anyone say “tax reform”?